How Did The Characters Get Their Names?

Something that I have always found interesting is how certain TV characters get their "character" names. In other words, why was it Andy Taylor and not FRED Taylor..........or Andy Taylor and not Andy SMITH? I have always wondered about this sort of thing, even when I was a child! I know that Howard McNear played the role of the barber Floyd Lawson....and what a coincidence that Jack Dodson's character was named HOWARD Sprague. So I can pretty much figure out how Howard Sprague got his name.......they probably took it from Howard McNear. Just wondering about the other characters in the show. Do any of you TAGS fanatics out there have any info as to how names for the other characters were chosen? Just wondering, Thanks In Advance!!!!!

Replies to This Discussion

from what I understand a lot of the characters were named after friends or just other people that grew up with Andy in and around his home town of My Airy N.C. In fact reports are that some of the people weren't very approving of this and have brought law suits over this. A lot of the towns and names of businesses around Mt Airy were often mentioned in the show. Floyd's barber shop and Snappy's Lunch are located in Mt Airy. Pilot Mountain is nearby therefore Mt Pilot. Emmett Forrest was Andy's best friend so I suppose Emmett Clark the fix-it man was named after him. I could go on and on but maybe someone else can give you more input.